Gordon MP Malcolm Bruce knighted

Published:15:46Friday 22 June 2012

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GORDON MP Malcolm Bruce has spoken of his honour after receiving a knighthood in the latest Queen’s Honours.

The veteran Liberal Democrat MP, who has represented the area at Westminster for a quarter of a century, told the Times that he was pleasantly surprised to receive the accolade, for public and political service.

“I am absolutely delighted to be knighted. It came as a huge surprise,” he said.

It is understood that he was informed that he would be receiving the knighthood six weeks ago.

Mr Bruce, who writes a column in the Times every fortnight, has traditionally been a political moderate, and was in favour of the coalition agreement at Westminster. He contested the Angus North and Mearns seat in 1974, Aberdeenshire West in 1979. He was first elected in 1983, in Gordon, and since that time has contested seven elections. Elected initially on a small majority numbering in the hundreds, he has managed to expand that majority to nearly six thousand at the last general election in 2010.

He sits on the International Development Committee and is a Privy Councillor. He has five children from two marriages, and stays at Torphins.

Liberal leader Nick Clegg said: “He is one of the most energetic MPs in the House of Commons today, much as he was when he entered the Commons.”